Category Archives: Literature

The Pamela Paul Effect: Books betray us, yet still we cling to them

Posted on July 22, 2023 by David Walker

Many of us still venerate books. The evidence says they are not very good at what is supposed to be their primary job: putting new ideas in our heads. We are slowing developing new ways to achieve this old aim. … Continue reading →

Posted in Information, Literature, Media, Methodology | 2 Comments

Critic swallows book

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Nicholas Gruen

The Sydney Book Review is my kind of book review. It’s online and free. Ever since I joined the blogging revolution in 2005 it’s seemed crazy to me (not to mention precious) that so many of our literary publications are … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Education, Indigenous, Literature, Social Policy | 1 Comment

Czesław Miłosz: Alpha, the Moralist

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Nicholas Gruen

Czesław Miłosz is a Polish writer and Nobel Laureate who first came to Western attention in the early 1950s with the publication of The Captive Mind one of the earliest exposes of the nightmare of Soviet domination of Eastern Europe … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, History, Literature, Philosophy | Leave a comment

The Great Covid Panic: now out!

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Paul Frijters

It’s here, the booklet I am sure you have all been waiting for. The one which Gigi Foster and Michael Baker slaved over for 10 months. It is also on Kindle. It is dedicated to all the victims of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bargains, Coronavirus crisis, Dance, Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Education, Employment, Ethics, Health, History, Humour, Inequality, Isegoria, IT and Internet, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Life, Literature, Media, Medical, Parenting, Philosophy, Political theory, Politics - international, Politics - national, Print media, Public and Private Goods, Religion, Review, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society, Sortition and citizens’ juries, Terror, Theatre, Travel, WOW! - Amazing | 7 Comments

Stefan Zweig on killing your darlings and getting to the point

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Nicholas Gruen

Just in case people aren’t sick of my extracts from SZ. I liked this. It very much describes my own approach – right down to one of the main temperamental drivers – however much I fall short of the aspiration, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Literature | 5 Comments

A review of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, the prequel to “The Hunger Games”.

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Paul Frijters

1 As a fan of the “Hunger Games”, a dystopian trilogy where teenagers are thrown into gladiatorial games to fight till the last survivor in a world that is a blend of ancient Rome and modern America, I eagerly awaited … Continue reading →

Posted in Art and Architecture, Cultural Critique, Democracy, Films and TV, Geeky Musings, History, Literature, Media, Social Policy, Society | 3 Comments

George RR Martin just reminded us of the horrors of war and our role in them.

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Paul Frijters

Episode 5 of the final season of Game of Thrones showed us a vengeful fallen angle, Daenerys Targaryen, after whom thousands of children in the real world have been named. Even though her enemies had been defeated and surrendered, she … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Democracy, Ethics, Films and TV, Geeky Musings, History, Law, Life, Literature, Media, Print media, Religion, Social Policy, Society, Theatre | 26 Comments